Adweek Elevate: Publishing Conference Gives Insights to Millions of Marketers and Advertisers
2020 was a year filled with uncertainty and unforeseen circumstances. But with great trials comes constant change within the marketplace. The Future for media companies, leading publishers, and brands are allotted opportunities given the unique era of digitization. Last week Adweek hosted an elite summit featuring industry leaders from Time Magazine, The Athletic, National Geographic, Vice Media and more. Each day included a wealth of knowledge and forward-thinking approaches about the evolving publishing world. A big takeaway for media companies is how to navigate through creating a reputable brand while maintaining a corporate savvy structure. The implications of the global pandemic has forced the anchors of these companies to think outside of the box and get innovative with the way they create content for their consumers. Below is a summary of the panels featuring key industry professionals as they share their insights and business practices on how to stay ahead of the curve in 2021.
Keith Grossman - President, TIME
TIME has maintained its edge as a 21st-century brand in the publishing space. President Keith Grossman spoke on the importance of developing trust with their consumers and audience, and the only way to do so is by creating stories that are of high quality that speak to the masses. The award-winning publication has been reporting global and breaking news for millions of consumers globally, capturing moments that shape our everyday lives. Keith also spoke on the TIME‘s 2020 awards that were announced late last week. Award winners include the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James who was named TIME’s Athlete of the Year, U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Keith ended his discussion by shedding some light on some key takeaways: 1) Trust matters 2) Approach everything with a beginner’s mind, 3) Evolve with the new world and new reality that we are living.
Erika Nardini - CEO, Barstool Sports
With the second wave of the pandemic approaching, sports media companies and brands must prepare how to navigate through turbulent times. Erika Nardini, Chief Executive Officer of Barstool Sports, spoke on how she was able to use the pandemic as a time to develop new strategies and leverage brand partnerships. Erika and Barstool sports have weathered the storm during unprecedented times, Nardini shared business practices for sports media professionals and advertising executives that wish to succeed in a rapidly evolving environment.
ERIKA NARDINI
Chief Officer Executive, Barstool Sports
Nardini spoke on the importance of brands having multiple faces for different consumer groups and audiences, we see that with the company Airbnb, as they appeal to different mass audiences. She also highlighted why building community loyalty and leveraging social media can build brand momentum and return a profitable ROI. Nardini has blazed a unique trial for Barstool Sports becoming the first female CEO of the company. Under her stewardship, Barstool Sports have garnered traction from over 65 million monthly and unique users and becoming the home of the #1 sports podcast “Pardon my take”. Check out some of Nardini’s key takeaways: 1) Brands can have many faces to cater to audiences 2) Brands with highly loyal communities breed success 3) Social media can be leveraged to create engagement and brand momentum. 4) Personalities should be authentic and relatable.
“Traditional marketing no longer works, it doesn’t resonate”
Alex Mather - Founder, The Athletic
Day 3 of Adweek Elevate: Publishing conference began with a panel on the “New Rules of Media” featuring Alex Mather of The Athletic. Since its existence in 2016, The Athletic serves as a prominent subscription-only business for sports fanatics across North America. Mather spoke on creating a formula for his consumers through generating high-quality content and tapped in on the new rules of digital publishing. Like most sports media companies entering down the path of uncertainty, what are the next steps for sport sites in the era of Covid?
Photo courtesy of Adweek Elevate: Publishing
Publications have been implementing strategies that will enhance the overall experience for their consumers, Mather ended on a high note by addressing the importance of data and analytics which gives hundreds of journalists that access to provide information in real-time. The pandemic has been a time for experimenting, the Athletic tried to keep consumers engaged by sending emails to encourage routines for mass media consumption. Leaving no stones unturned Mather and his team have been able to resurge their sports media startup through the power of innovative thinking. Check out some of Mather’s key takeaways: 1. Always give feedback 2. No shortcut 3. Culture does matter.
“We’ve weathered it by, you know, really simplifying the goals and mission and just telling great stories”
2021 Outlook: Year of optimism
With the new year approaching it’s very important that publishers, media companies and brands embrace these unique challenges that were placed amid Covid. The constant change in the media world can provide great benefits to future consumers of our world. Whether it's hosting more virtual events that leverage corporate sponsorships, implementing a subscription-based model, or diversifying ad revenue streams, these are various business practices and strategies that can be executed in the converging media space of tomorrow. Turn a new page to a year filled with endless possibilities and the open-mindedness of the future publishing world.
“The value of journalism is the future of media ”
Written by: Hussein Abdullahi
Event: Adweek Elevate: Publishing
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